Overview
- The president announced the approval on Oct. 30 in a post on his own social media platform.
- He said the submarines would be built at a Philadelphia shipyard on the U.S. East Coast.
- Kyodo News reported the statement from Gyeongju, and Japanese outlets carried brief, paywalled versions.
- South Korea does not currently operate nuclear-powered submarines, and President Lee Jae-myung sought U.S. backing during their Oct. 29 meeting.
- The current bilateral accord bars military use of U.S.-supplied nuclear fuel, and no agreement text, timeline, or technical arrangements have been released.